An introduction to musical signal processing

(1) “…Synesthetes will reveal a systematic relationship between color brightness or lightness and auditory pitch: The higher the pitch of the sound, the lighter or brighter the color of the image.”

(2) “The higher the pitch of the sound, the sharper, more angular, and smaller the visual image.”

(3) “Synesthetic images are typically simple (e.g., color or shape), but dynamic (e.g., as the sound waxes and wanes, so does the image). In some cases, the induced image is so vivid as to be distracting.”

All of these quotes come from the fascinating article “Synesthesia: Strong and Weak” by Martino & Marks (view the JSTOR article, available through your public library account).

I am in need of candidates who possess any kind of synesthetic gift, realized or unrealized, weak or strong, preferably with respect to pitch detection. A friend of mine in high school would see specific colors for specific pitches. That is not to say that perfect (absolute) pitch requires synesthetic qualities, but I would like to know if those with strong or weak synesthesia have a proclivity for identifying pitches in isolation.

I am also very interested in talking with people who have absolute pitch without synesthesia, and those who have amusia or are tone deaf.

Contact me at info[at]numbersandnotes[dot]com. You will be contacted with a questionnaire or a phone interview, and you may even be compensated for your time.